Remembering Fallen Brothers

On the evening of March 14, 2007, NYPD Auxiliary Police Officers Nick Pekearo and Gene Marshalik were shot and killed on Sullivan Street, right near Bleecker Street. Today the intersection is marked with street signs in their memory. Every year we held a walk with family members, friends and members of the service from the 6^th Precinct to that intersection. This year that walk was canceled due to a snowstorm, so I am posting this in their memory and to share something that did not show up in any of the news reports.

That night, unlike this, was unseasonably warm. Restaurants had tables set up outside, sidewalks were crowded: lots of people were out enjoying the evening. We will never know exactly what motivated the killer, but some facts are clear enough: he walked into a restaurant on MacDougal Street, sat down and shot a busboy 15 times. He then calmly walked out along Bleecker Street, turned up Sullivan and shot the 2 officers. Moments later, officers responding to the reports of 'shots fired,' shot and killed the killer.

Later we learned the killer was carrying 2 high powered handguns and 130 rounds of ammunition.

In the weeks that followed, investigators could not come up with any connection between the killer and the busboy in the restaurant. There was nothing in his background to indicate any problems with police officers. Only one thing is clear: with those two guns and all that firepower, he came into our community that night to kill. On that balmy evening, he had a choice of many targets. Had it not been for the actions of Nick and Gene, he would have gone on killing. And on that night instead of two families grieving for their loss, there would have been many, many more.

So there will not be a memorial tonight for anyone else who was out in the Village that evening, or for anyone who had friends or family at NYU. Or who lived in the neighborhood. Everyone got home safely that evening except Nick and Gene.

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I got a call that evening around 9 from my patrol partner. He told me there had been a shooting and one of our guys was involved. He was at St. Vincent's Hospital. My apartment was only a couple of blocks away and I was there a few minutes later. There were hundreds of cops, Department brass and lots of press. The first person I recognized was a detective from my precinct. His first words: “They are both dead.”

The Mayor and Police Commissioner showed up along with the two families. Hours later we formed up an escort to take them to the Medical Examiner's Office. 2 Ambulances and many cars with flashing lights, driving slowly through the Village. I remember empty streets and Officers standing at attention at every corner.  More filled the sidewalks in front of the  6^th Precinct and saluted as we passed. Later there would be tears and exhaustion. It was a very long night.

Here is a link to a video clip of a part of that evening: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PFIRCUhtu0

There is another from a security camera on Sullivan Street that recorded the shooting and, moments later, the arrival of other Police Officers.  That is a difficult one to watch.

I served as an Auxiliary Officer in the 6^th  for 35 years; I knew and worked with both Nick and Gene. Nick was 28. Gene was 19. They were good guys.

Bringing Our Brothers Home